Chapter 51: How to Make a Girl Happy?…

Chapter 51 How to Make a Girl Happy?

They made love.

They finished by midnight—Ji Fuxi had shown some restraint, not wearing her out too much.

"Want me to carry you to the shower?"

Showering together was entirely different from being intimate in the dark. Song Tan wasn’t yet comfortable enough with him to that extent, so she sent him to the other bathroom.

By the time she finished, he still hadn’t returned. Song Tan lay in bed, scrolling through the photos she had taken that day.

Most of the shots were of him and Song Chuqing—holding hands, hugging, him crouching down to talk to the little girl, or scenes from their games. There were about fifty or sixty in total. She went through them one by one, saving the good ones.

At some point, someone appeared behind her. Startled, Song Tan quickly tucked her phone away. "How do you move so quietly?"

Ji Fuxi had already caught a glimpse of her phone screen. His eyes crinkled at the corners. "You were just too focused. What were you looking at? Let me see."

Song Tan hid her phone under the blanket. "Nope."

He laughed and got into bed as well, then reached out and drew her close.

Song Tan didn’t resist, leaning into him and burying her face against his shoulder.

He carried a faint, sweet, milky fragrance—Xiao Chu’s exclusive body wash. She liked it.

Oddly enough, ever since that one night together, their relationship had progressed rapidly, shifting from a contract marriage to something resembling a long-married couple.

But it was only in their actions—raising a child, physical intimacy, day-to-day family life. Emotionally… they weren’t fully there yet.

Still, Song Tan felt quite content. Couples built solely on love often struggled to last. This partnership, this shared life, felt more promising.

And… recalling the photos she had just looked at, Ji Fuxi in them seemed like a completely different person—sunny, handsome, gentle, and attentive. Every captured moment was heartwarming.

So, falling in love with him probably wouldn’t be too difficult.

Song Tan closed her eyes and asked casually, "What took you so long in the shower?"

Then it vaguely occurred to her that he always took a long time washing up afterward—every single time, including that one night five years ago. Such a neat freak.

Ji Fuxi thought for a few seconds before answering with a smile, "Needed to decompress."

"..."

Song Tan decided not to pursue the topic further and instead said, "I’ll have to leave for Xinghua Town in a couple of days. You’ll take care of Xiao Chu."

"Alright."

...

The next day, when Song Chuqing returned home from school, she finally noticed something unusual about her father. "Daddy, did you get hurt?"

"Yeah, I took a spill today."

The little girl’s eyes welled up with worry. "Does it hurt?"

"No, it’s fine. Don’t worry, Xiao Chu."

"Why did you fall?"

"The shoes were too small." The sports shoes prepared by the kindergarten were a size too small—otherwise, he wouldn’t have twisted his ankle.

"Oh… Then next time, Daddy, you have to buy shoes that fit."

"Mm."

After dinner, the father and daughter sat on the sofa. The little girl rubbed his leg with her small hands. "Daddy, I’ll rub it for you. When my feet hurt, Mommy would do this for me, and it would feel better."

From the kitchen, Song Tan listened and glanced over. She smiled.

Ji Fuxi lay there, eyes closed, a faint smile on his lips—was he enjoying this?

She scooped a boiled egg from the pot, wrapped it in a clean towel, and walked over to the sofa. "Xiao Chu, use this to warm up Daddy’s leg." A day had passed; now it was time for a hot compress.

"Okay!" The little girl got to work earnestly. After holding it to his leg, she asked carefully, "Daddy, is it too hot?"

"No."

After a while, Song Chuqing asked again, "Daddy, are you better now?"

Ji Fuxi smiled gently. "Not yet. It’ll take a few days."

"Ah, then what should we do?" The little girl’s brows drooped, but she quickly thought of something. "Then I’ll help Mommy take care of you!"

Song Tan added from the side, "Mommy has to go to work tomorrow. Xiao Chu and Daddy will stay at Great-Grandpa’s house, and Grandma Jiang will look after Daddy."

Her shoot started the day after, beginning a three-month shoot with no time to tend to him. They had discussed it last night—they’d stay at the Ji family’s old residence.

Song Chuqing’s mood swung between excitement and disappointment. While she was happy to stay with Great-Grandpa Yao Peiqiu, she was far more upset that Mommy had to leave for work. That meant she’d only get to see her once a week or every other week.

The little girl’s eyes reddened again. She tossed the egg aside, jumped off the sofa, and clung to her mother. "Wah, Mommy..."

She was heartbroken—but she didn’t say things like "Don’t go."

Song Tan’s heart ached as she knelt and held her daughter’s face. "Xiao Chu, won’t you be happy staying with Daddy and Great-Grandpa?"

"No… I want to stay with Mommy."

The man on the sofa: "..."

Song Tan softened her voice. "If Xiao Chu misses Mommy, you and Daddy can come visit on weekends. Just like last time. And when summer break starts, you can come stay with Mommy."

The little girl sniffled and snuggled closer into her embrace before murmuring, "Okay."

Song Chuqing’s reaction to her leaving for work was intense. For the rest of the evening, she clung to her mother relentlessly—bathing together, sleeping together, even waking up in the middle of the night to find her limbs wrapped tightly around her.

The next day was Saturday. After breakfast, Song Tan bid her a proper goodbye and set a date for their next meeting.

Xinghua Town was farther than the last filming location. Flying was troublesome, driving too long—the best option was the high-speed rail, a two-hour trip.

Song Tan arranged for them to meet the following weekend, with Daddy bringing her over.

Only then did the little girl manage a small smile, hugging her tightly. "Mommy, I’ll miss you."

"Mommy will miss Xiao Chu too."

Once Song Tan left, the father and daughter packed up and returned to the old residence.

Ji Jiangdie’s family hadn’t been staying at the Ji residence these past few days. With Yao Peiqiu absent, there was no one to play with, and the little girl’s sadness over missing her mother only grew. Sitting alone in the living room watching *Paw Patrol*, she had none of her usual energy.

Aqi, who had followed her, nuzzled her. Song Chuqing picked up the little dog and held it in her arms, resting her head on its body as she whispered, "Aqi, I miss Mommy."

Behind her, Ji Gaozheng, using his cane, entered the living room and paused upon hearing her words. He cleared his throat softly.

Song Chuqing turned around and still managed a smile. "Great-grandpa!"

Ji Gaozheng looked at the unfamiliar dog. "This is... Aqi?"

The little girl stroked the dog's back and finally gave a genuine smile. "Yes, Great-grandpa. This is Aqi. He's Chase, Ryder's best helper, and also my good friend."

"What breed is he?"

"Mommy says Aqi is the best-behaved and most obedient sheepdog."

"Then..." Ji Gaozheng couldn't recall. "What about your dad's dog?"

The man who had just changed clothes and come downstairs stopped in his tracks, looking utterly confused. "???"

Song Chuqing answered, "Daddy's dog is a Labrador named Zuma. He's really cute!"

"..." Ji Fuxi understood now, his lips curled into a wry smile.

"Xiao Chu."

The grandfather and granddaughter stopped their conversation and turned to look.

Once he reached them, Ji Gaozheng deliberately glanced at his grandson. "I heard your English name is Zuma?"

"Yeah, it's Zuma." Ji Fuxi picked up Song Chuqing, his tone doting. "As long as my daughter is happy."

Ji Gaozheng: "..."

With only three people at home, dinner was simple.

After just a few bites, Ji Gaozheng noticed the little girl carefully picking out the green onions from the fried prawns and the greens from the stir-fried pork, placing them on a small plate. He then looked at his grandson, who was copying her.

By the end of the meal, neither of them had touched the plate of garlicky bok choy.

Ji Gaozheng's expression darkened. Instead of scolding the child, he turned to the adult. "Fu Xi, what kind of father are you?"

Ji Fuxi understood and laughed quietly. "Grandpa, I've been eating greens for half a year. Her mom’s finally away."

The old man had nothing to say.

Song Chuqing's room had already been prepared, still in pastel blue and pink. The little girl's eyes sparkled with delight when she pushed the door open, but she immediately turned and hugged someone. "Daddy, I want to sleep with you."

"Okay."

The showerhead in Ji Fuxi's room was too high, so Song Chuqing took her bath in the smaller bathroom before heading over.

The master bedroom's bed was also a bit tall. She took off her little shoes and climbed up, then obediently snuggled under the covers to wait—Daddy was still downstairs.

After waiting for a while with no sign of him, Song Chuqing wanted to call Mommy, but there was no tablet here, and she had forgotten to bring her smartwatch.

I miss Mommy so much... Daddy isn't here either...

Thinking about it, she couldn't hold back her quiet sobs, just like she used to half a year ago.

The moment Ji Fuxi pushed open the door, he heard the muffled crying under the covers. His heart sank, and he rushed over immediately.

Pulling back the covers, he saw her face wet with tears, her little body curled into a ball. His heart shattered. He quickly picked her up, wiping her tears as he soothed her. "Xiao Chu, what's wrong?"

Song Chuqing said tearfully, "Wah... Xixi, I miss Mommy... I miss Mommy..."

"Okay, okay, let's call Mommy."

He dialed the number, but no one answered. She was probably busy preparing for tomorrow's opening ceremony and was too busy.

After two unanswered calls, the little girl, now comforted by his presence, gradually calmed down and said in a small voice, "Xixi, Mommy is busy."

"Yeah, Mommy's busy. Daddy’s here with Xiao Chu." Ji Fuxi put away his phone. "What story should Daddy tell today?"

Song Chuqing clung to his neck, burying her face in his shoulder, her voice quiet. "I don't want to hear anything."

"Then do you want to watch cartoons?"

"No."

Not even *Paw Patrol* helped.

She was still upset, and he couldn’t leave her this sad.

Ji Fuxi thought for a moment, then called Ji Jiangdie.

Ji Jiangdie was surprised. "Brother?"

The man's voice was calm. "I need Pei Qiu."

After a brief pause, the phone was handed to Yao Peiqiu. The boy shouted, "Uncle!"

"Pei Qiu, did you have fun on Children's Day?"

"So much fun! Uncle, you and Xiao Chu are amazing!" He asked about Song Chuqing. "Xiao Chu, did you eat your lollipop yet? Isn't it super tasty?"

The phone was on speaker, so Song Chuqing could hear. She murmured, "Not yet."

"Oh, you'd better eat it soon, or it'll go bad."

"Mhm."

The little girl still didn’t perk up. After a few more brief exchanges, the call ended.

Ji Fuxi didn’t know what to do. This wasn’t like before—nothing helped.

Song Tan was busy, and he couldn’t fix what was making her sad. He had no experience dealing with this.

With no other ideas, Ji Fuxi messaged Liang Chuwen: "How do you make a little girl feel better?"

Liang Chuwen: "Boss Ji, are you cheering up Teacher Song?!!!"

Clearly, it was Liang Chuwen’s wife responding. He replied: "No, Xiao Chu."

Liang Chuwen: "Oh... Xiao Chu."

Liang Chuwen: "Get her something cute or pretty."

Ji Fuxi: "That won’t work."

Liang Chuwen: "How about taking her out to play?"

Ji Fuxi frowned, "What should we play?"

Liang Chuwen replied, "How about an amusement park?"

That was an idea, but going to the amusement park would have to wait until tomorrow, and Xiao Chu was still upset now.

Ji Fuxi asked, "Anything quicker?"

Liang Chuwen sighed, "Oh, Boss Ji, you need patience. Little girls need patience and gentle coaxing. You can't rush it."

Ji Fuxi fell silent and sent a message, "Understood, thanks."

With no other options, he had no choice but to text Song Tan, "Call me back when you see this. Xiao Chu misses you."

Now he could only wait for her mother to free up and return the call.

Putting down his phone again, the man gently patted Xiao Chu's back and called softly, "Xiao Chu?"

No response. When he loosened his hold, he found Song Chuqing, her face still tear-streaked, already fast asleep.

Ji Fuxi chuckled wryly—all that fuss for nothing.

...

At seven in the morning, Ji Fuxi, now awake, didn’t leave, afraid that Song Chuqing would wake up and feel sad if no one was around.

By the sliver of light seeping through the curtains, he watched Xiao Chu still sound asleep.

Song Chuqing had flawless skin, and under the light, the peach fuzz on her face was clearly visible. She lay on her side, her chubby cheek squished against the pillow, looking like a peeled peach—pink and fair.

Ji Fuxi held his breath, careful not to disturb the sleeping "honey peach."

But before long, she woke up on her own.

Her little hands stretched out from under the covers as she yawned, tossed from side to side, rubbing her face before drowsily opening her eyes.

When she saw him, her small lips curled up, no sign of last night's crying. Her voice was sweet as she chirped, "Good morning, Daddy."

Ji Fuxi smoothed her messy hair. "Good morning, Xiao Chu."

Just then, Song Tan sent a message asking if Xiao Chu was awake, so he called her via video.

Xiao Chu held the phone, leaning against him as she sat up, her voice sweet and *sajiao*-like, "Mommy~"

"Good morning, Xiao Chu."

"Good morning, Mommy."

With no school today, Song Tan asked, "What would you like to do today, Xiao Chu?"

Xiao Chu tilted her head up. "Daddy, what should we do?"

"How about Daddy takes Xiao Chu to the amusement park?"

"Okay!" Song Chuqing repeated into the phone, "Daddy and I are going to the amusement park. What are you doing, Mommy?"

"Mommy has an opening ceremony later, and work starts in the afternoon." Remembering that the event would be livestreamed on an official account, Song Tan added, "Xiao Chu can watch Mommy online later."

"I want to see!"

The girl lit up. After ending the call, she quickly brushed her teeth, washed her face, changed clothes, and went downstairs to greet Ji Gaozheng before heading straight to the living room, begging her dad to turn on the TV.

Ji Fuxi chuckled helplessly. "Mommy is still preparing. It won’t start until nine. Let’s have breakfast first."

"Oh, okay."

Ji Gaozheng asked, "What are we watching?"

Song Chuqing tilted her head. "My mommy is making a movie, and there’s an opening ceremony. Great-grandpa, you wouldn't know about this, would you? We’ll watch it together later!"

After breakfast, father and daughter, along with the old man who had been dragged over by Xiao Chu, gathered in front of the TV.

The livestream was about to begin, the camera panning over the opening ceremony site.

Song Chuqing still had questions. "Daddy, isn’t 'opening' just pressing a button to turn something on?"

Ji Fuxi explained, "It’s a special event to mark the official start of Mommy’s project." He gave an example, "Like when Xiao Chu started kindergarten, wasn’t there an opening ceremony?"

Song Chuqing understood a little better. At the opening ceremony, the principal talks, Teacher Xiao Qing talks, and even the older kids went up to talk. "So will Mommy talk too?"

"Probably."

"Wow, Mommy is amazing!" Xiao Chu turned around, grinning proudly as she said to the old man beside her, "Great-grandpa, do you understand what an opening ceremony is now? My mommy is super amazing!"

Ji Gaozheng’s expression darkened as he recalled something.

A couple of days ago, while having tea with an old friend, the friend glanced at his phone and suddenly asked if Ji Fuxi had married some actress. He hadn’t responded, but his friends began discussing it, saying Ji Fuxi must be out of his mind—young people really could be blinded by love.

They then asked if he had ever met this actress, asking if she was some schemer. By the end, they were telling him to protect his family’s assets.

Ji Gaozheng’s hands had trembled with anger.

Since when did outsiders have the right to gossip about the Ji family?

Now, watching the livestream, the elder turned to his grandson and said gravely, "Your investment?"

"Not exactly. She earned this role through her own efforts."

Ji Gaozheng tightened his grip on his cane. "Put more money into it. Spare no expense on production and promotion." No matter what, no one had the right to criticize the Ji family.

Seeing the old man’s irritated expression, Ji Fuxi guessed he must have heard something. He smiled slightly. "Got it. I won’t embarrass you."

At nine o’clock, the livestream officially began.

The host kicked things off, followed by introductions of the crew.

The first person introduced was Song Tan, credited as Director.

The woman on stage wore a sleek black suit, her hair pulled back simply, her makeup understated—nothing distracting from her presence.

Her speech was poised and confident, not a hint of nerves.

Song Chuqing immediately jumped off the sofa and ran up to the TV, peering closely before turning back. "Great-grandpa, isn’t my mommy just the best?"

The old man glanced at the woman on screen, taking on such responsibility, and gave a grudging nod.

Clearly there were fans in the audience, mostly Song Tan’s, judging by the constant cheers.

"Sis is so gorgeous!"

"Director Song! Director Song!"

"You got this, wifey!!"

The stream of comments was filled with similar messages, along with fan-made emojis.

When Song Tan finished speaking, the cheers grew louder, and the comments multiplied.

However, the little girl couldn’t read the text—she could only hear the sounds from the event. She looked puzzled, eyes widening, and turned to her father. "Daddy, are these ladies calling Mommy?"

"...Yes."

"They called Mommy 'wifey'!"

"..."

"Is Mommy their wifey?"

The man struggled to explain, "It’s just a term of endearment for someone they like."

Oh! No wonder Daddy had called Mommy his wifey before. Everything clicked for Song Chuqing now, her eyes smiling. "Then I like Mommy too—Mommy is my wifey!"

"..."